"On topic" questions shows Brandon Johnson is running from media
Mayor Brandon Johnson's press office insists it is "common practice" for them to tell the press what questions they are allowed to ask at official events. So much for that open and transparent administration we were all promised.
This incredible proclamation came as the mayor was holding his press availability on Chicago's Riverwalk last Thursday to announce the Chicago River Swim. After the announcement, the mayor took questions from the media. Or, he acted like he was taking questions, anyway.
As it happens, Johnson took only certain questions, because the press office apparently told the media ahead of time only "on topic" questions would be allowed.
Members of the press did try to ask the mayor other questions during the event, but Johnson's press aide routinely butted in to warn each reporter to stay "on-topic" with their questions. And when some members of the press persisted, Johnson simply ignored them and moved on to another reporter.
Three reporters attempted to ask those dreaded "off topic" questions, and each was either shut down or ignored. Ultimately the mayor stormed off in a snit and refused to answer any more questions at all.
Later, the press office defended its actions on the Riverwalk.
After the event, they explained the media was informed ahead of time that they were only allowed to ask approved questions. So, it's no big deal, don't you know.
"This morning, Mayor Johnson attended the announcement for the second annual Chicago River Swim. It was communicated in advance to each reporter in attendance that due to limited availability, the Mayor would only be able to take on-topic questions," the press office exclaimed in a March 12 X post.
The press office then incredibly added: "This is common practice for such announcements."
"Common?" It's now "common" the mayor of one of the nation's biggest cities controls what questions the press is allowed to ask?
NBC 5 political reporter Mary Ann Ahern didn't seem to think it is all that common.
"It is never common for an elected official to dictate what questions are asked," she wrote about the press office's claim.
A reporter from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, even chimed in, clearly shocked at the actions of Chicago’s mayor.
"In Milwaukee, we always ask our mayor off-topic questions, which is the same I found at the Wisconsin Capitol for our governor and lawmakers, and at the U.S. Capitol with whoever happened to walk by," Fox News political reporter Jason Calvi posted on X.
Ahern and Calvi are both right, of course. It is shocking and despicable the mayor and his cohorts seem to think they should have the power to control what questions the press are allowed to ask at any given time.
But this Mayor Johnson seems to be a far cry from the newly elected mayor who in 2023 promised to have one of the most open and transparent administrations in Chicago history.
"Open access to information and open government are essential to our democracy. The role of the press, in particular, is 'to serve the governed, not the governors,' and FOIA requests by media outlets are key to providing access to information for the general public," Johnson piously told the Better Government Association back in those hoary old days.
Johnson is like many another liberal, of course. What one says ahead of taking office or with one foot in the door and what he says after taking office are often not the same thing.
This mayor is clearly just another dictatorial, left-winger who thinks his privilege takes precedent over freedom of the press. Worse, Johnson is a coward hiding behind his press secretary in an effort to avoid accountability and to cut off the flow of information to the public.
And don’t forget, Johnson isn’t just working to thwart yellow journalists. He is also trying to make sure the voters never find out what he is doing. After all, if even the press can’t ask their questions, we lowly voters have no chance at all of finding out what he is up to at City Hall.
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